“I Got Tired of It”

I recently wrote about the $500,000 pickup. Today I consider a couple of related stories—at least the principle is similar.

I talked to a Christian last month who had just purchased a new car. (I will call this Christian AB—Abby.) I was a little surprised—the car that Abby currently owned was very nice, only a couple of years old and had very few miles on it. Further, the car Abby purchased was fairly expensive. When I asked about any problems with the previous car and the reason for the new car purchase, Abby said, “I got tired of the other one.” Abby had two choices: purchase a new car to help out with boredom, or put a native missionary in the mission field until Jesus returns. Somehow we who minister and serve and seek to advance the ministry and mission cause of the Master around the world must do a better job of communicating values and priorities in the midst of the extreme wealth with which God has blessed us.

Coincidentally, on the same day as the previous conversation, a church member told me of an experience she and her granddaughter had shared. (I will call this church member ED—Edie.) Edie’s granddaughter had come to visit for the weekend, and in the course of making up the bed together, Edie mentioned that she would like to replace the bedspread. Edie’s granddaughter responded by saying that she liked the bedspread and asking what was wrong with it. Edie said, “I’m tired of it and would like something different.” Edie’s granddaughter’s response shows how deeply ingrained consumerism is in our society: “I’ll be glad when I get old enough and rich enough to be able to change the things I’m tired of.” Edie confided to me as our conversation closed, “Of course, I’ll never replace that bedspread—I’m too ‘tight’ to get rid of something that is perfectly good.”

Without being harsh or judgmental (hopefully), and while recognizing that we all have our own luxuries and wasteful moments in the abundance of our country, I ask how we Christians can help one another make better decisions about how and how much to share of the blessings God has showered upon us. We are blessed to live where we do. Did God bless us for a reason? Are we doing what God wants? When we live in a country where the average person makes 100 times what our brothers or sisters earn in a poorer country, perhaps the question is not what we have to give to God, but how little can be we by on.

I remember another Christian. I’ll call him Al. Al was committed to giving to God as much as he kept for himself. It was not just talk—he was doing it! I suspect you and I could also do it. I am confident we could live on much less that we do.

My sermon text last Sunday dealt with laying up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. Am I? Are you? Are we? What is your treasure? Where is it? What are you investing in? What are our priorities? The text (Matthew 6:19-24) is as much about trust as it is about treasures. Hopefully we can grow to where our most intense desires in life are greater than meeting our own wants and making ourselves feel good!

It’s Sunday Again: Sitting Where You Sit

Today I will sit where most churchgoers sit. I will sing and pray, I will listen and contemplate what God wants to communicate to his assembled people on this day–mediated through the study and insights of another member of the faith community. My public involvement is that I have been asked to guide the thoughts of God’s people as we surround the Table to remember afresh the central reason why we come. (As Acts 20:7 indicates that the early church assembled for the express purpose of breaking bread.)

The cup of blessing for which we give thanks, does it not signify that we enter in communion and fellowship with the blood of Christ? The bread which we share, does it not signify that we are entering into communion with the body of Christ? And since there is only one bread in which we all participate, therefore even though we are many, we form only one body. (1 Cor. 10:16-17)

In the Supper, Christians can see many different elements of their relationship with God. Some see only the Bible, and the need to do what the Bible says, so they are present and partake. This is duty and responsibility. This many be focused on what the Bible says more than on what God or Christ desire. Some go so far as to leave the assembly for other activities after the Supper, because their understanding of the Supper is limited to duty. My ticket is punched; I have done “it” for another week. Such is sadly shallow.

In the Supper, Christians may also see vertical relationship established or renewed. We are proclaiming relationship with God through faith. By faith, we are acknowledging the sacrifice of Christ and proclaiming our confidence in his faithful return. The Supper is sacramental, sacred, in that it reminds of the continuing power of Christ’s blood to heal those who are his followers. The Supper is not for non-followers. Nor does partaking of the Supper establish one’s relationship with God–that occurs in one’s contact with the blood of Christ in baptism. The Supper serves to renew and remind. In this point, notice how the words of Jesus at the Supper, as recorded in the Gospels, are applied in the life of the church when Paul quotes them in 1 Cor. 11:23ff.

Least in view in the Supper (at least for many Christians) is the declaration of horizontal relationship. The spiritual body of Christ, the church, shares the Supper, and thus shares communion and fellowship. The blood which flowed through the physical body of Christ and was shed in his death on the cross now flows through the spiritual body of Christ–and partaking of the cup does not start the flow of Christ’s blood but reminds of present reality. It also reminds us that we are one. We are a unit, a unity, unified, even in our diversity. We are the same–we are treated the same, we treat one another equally. At the cross, no one is special to God, no one is special to any other Christian. The cross, and thus the Supper, declares togetherness.

“Let us break bread together on our knees…..”

Living Life—One Step at a Time

It is not easy to move through the developmental stages of life. Early on, we tend to cling to the comforts of the present. This is the reason why children sometimes have to be prodded to move ahead and grow up. During the school years and into adolescence, we often want to run ahead to areas of life for which we are not developmentally ready. Parents say it again and again, “Don’t grow up too fast!” Life is filled with transitions. One of the last, and perhaps most difficult transitions, is the transition from productive, compassionate adulthood into the mature years of life when one’s energy wanes, one’s productivity is altered, and a new set of tasks emerges. Some people never manage to find the new rhythms of life and the fresh purpose of God during the capstone years.

When we develop appropriately in each stage of life and learn the lessons life offers, we become mature, competent people who “act our age”. We do not try to go back to the past and an earlier stage of life; neither do we try to accelerate life and live in the future. We enjoy the life God provides in the present, and gladly commit ourselves to his purpose for us.

One description of the developmental life stages says that the “Mature Years” are valuable for reviewing one’s life, redefining the order and meaning of life, and preserving that wisdom and passing it on to others. The “Mature Years” give the opportunity to reflect and write both from expertise and experience.

My wife and I prefer a different terminology. We are not interested in retiring–we are interested in reinvesting. My goal is to devote my “reinvestment” years to accomplishing those things that God has uniquely equipped me to do.

Please bear with me as I review my life “out loud” in this blog and in web articles. My purpose is to understand more clearly the order and meaning of my life–a life controlled and guided by God. Hopefully, out of my experiences and training will come a few words of wisdom that are worth passing on. I eagerly look forward to the next steps. They may not be giant steps, but hopefully they won’t be baby steps either.

It’s Sunday Again: True Wisdom

Today I am preaching from Matthew 6:19-24. This small text from the wisdom of the Sermon on the Mount provides guidance for life–and is about more than our money. This is a text about life.

In preaching and in life, few tasks are more difficult than discerning what matters, what is important, and to what we are called. We are surrounded by the siren songs of multiplied missions, opportunities, numberless challenges, and pressing needs. What shall we do? Where shall we spend our time? The trivia of the urgent often finds actuality impoverishing possibility.
To turn from the trivia of the urgent to the priority of the essential is a first step toward wisdom. In life, there are plenty of opportunities to spend our money, cut an ethical corner, and do our own thing.

Trust and treasures—where we spend our money
Wisdom literature sharpens our focus and defines our priorities. In ministry, I must ask myself, where is my focus–on Jesus or on self? What shall I think about? tomorrow? next Sunday’s sermon? For ministers, this is a special problem, for our tomorrow is often intimately wrapped up in “kingdom things.” My very life is “kingdom things”–at least I can rationalize it so. Can I really be focused on kingdom things if I am not focused on Jesus Christ, the king? Can I really be focused on kingdom things if I am relying upon my own abilities to get my tasks done?
Everyday life presents the same challenge for every one of us. Dependence and trust lets go and lets God. We can only store treasure in heaven when we see the temporary nature of this world and decide that storing up things here is ultimately foolish.

Trust and tactics—law and ethics
How will I get it all done? Ministry is always a place for dependence and a time for trust. Where can I find refuge, focus, direction, priority? Jesus says such are kingdom issues (Mt. 6:33-34). In ministry as in life, our answers are in the kingdom matters, not in the material world.
Merely quoting the verses provides no panacea. The passage demands interpretation, because Jesus responds to our questions with the same words, “Seek first kingdom things.” Can following Jesus really be that demanding? Are priorities really that important? What price are we willing to pay—even to compromising our own ethics? If law and wisdom merge in Jesus’ sermon, we must see that the ethics of the law have not been removed—they have been exalted to a higher place where they are no longer an exterior concern but an interior reality.

Trust and tasks—doing my thing or God’s things?
My task is not to identify your kingdom things. My task is to remind you that all of life is in finding your one thing–“your kingdom things”–and pursuing it. Pursue it according to your talents, abilities, inclinations, personality, preferences, and opportunities. But pursue it trusting in God’s power, not your own. Find your kingdom role; seek God’s power to fulfill that role. To say, “don’t worry about what you cannot do–do what you can do” raises the wrong issue. Today I will seek God’s will and God’s way by God’s power, for today. Tomorrow will take care of itself. That is trust.

Making Announcements

Most of the time, there is a lot of room for improvement in the way announcements are done. Announcements are often done poorly down at the church (and in other places!). Announcements, especially at the end of an assembly or meeting, are not the time to say hello and greet people, not the time to wake people up. Announcements are not a time to be cute and call attention to one’s self. Announcements are often merely endured. Announcements are seldom visitor friendly–do not compound the problem with announcements that include “inside jokes”. Many announcements are made that do not need to be made. In some churches, the announcement maker simple reads the bulletin news items to the congregation. In other churches, the announcer may simply repeat the announcements that have already been projected on the screen. Announcements that affect only a handful of those present should be handled in other ways except in emergencies.

Let me try to provide some help if you are assigned the uneviable task of making announcements.

  • What are you trying to say? Make certain you clearly understand the announcement.
  • Who needs to hear it? Does anyone need to hear it?
  • Make the announcement clear.
  • Make it positive.
  • Make it brief, with as few details as possible (only those that are absolutely essential).

Announcements well-done answer the “who, what, when, where and why” questions. Sometimes, an announcement may include the “how”, but generally the five “W” items are enough. Allow me some illustrations.

Who: Brother L. M. Nop will begin
What: a four-week training session for adult teachers
Where: in the small auditorium
When: each Sunday afternoon at 4 pm, beginning May 2
Why: to acquaint teachers with the summer adult curriculum

Who: This congregation will have
What: the summer 2010 Vacation Bible School for ages 4-10, with the theme of “SuperHeroes”
Where: at the church building
When: May 23-26, beginning Sunday evening from 4-6, and Monday through Wednesday morning from 10 to noon
Why: to teach our children and their friends and to make new contacts in the community

Note that in both of these examples, the basic information is communicated. When announcements are allowed to “slide” into admonitions for signups and involvement, the announcement has become something other than an announcement. There may be a place for such admonitions in the church or other meetings, but such are generally more effective if they are “stand alone” items and are done by the person who is responsible for organizing the effort, or by a church leader. In most churches and organizations, the most effective recruiting tool is shoulder-tapping. Those who make “expanded announcements” that encourage involvement should be especially careful to avoiding motivations such as guilt, shame, and dire need.

Ministers and Taxes–Parsonage Allowance

Earlier this month, another legal challenge was filed which challenges the government’s provision of a “parsonage allowance” for ministers. As ministers (and churches) make plans for the future–both in church budgets and minister’s housing arrangements, this challenge should be watched.
Opening briefs were filed with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco in a lawsuit against a centuries-old practice of giving ministers a “parsonage allowance” or tax exemption for their housing.
More details on the initiation of the lawsuit and some of the early questions appears at the website of Pacific Justice: pacificjustice.org.

Half-Million Dollar Truck

With tax day past, it’s time to think about how to make next year’s tax day less taxing, and how to make a little more progress toward retirement. I am working on an article about ministers and taxes, and will either post the article as a blog or note when the article is available. Today I want to talk about the importance of saving. Nothing makes a greater difference in one’s financial situation in one’s later years than the ability and commitment to live on less than one makes. One person observed, “If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall.”

A few years ago, a youth minister friend, 24 years old, had just started a new youth ministry position. It was his first ministry job after college graduation. Suddenly, he had more money than he was accustomed to having. He decided that he just had to have new truck. The one he wanted cost only $15000. (I told you this was a few years ago!) He asked me what I thought, and I advised against the purchase, suggesting that his current vehicle was sufficient for a while longer, or that a used vehicle could be a nice upgrade. My friend bought the new truck anyway. When I next saw him, I asked, “How do you like you half-million dollar truck?” “What do you mean?” he responded. I explained to him that the real decision he had made was to have the truck instead of having $500,000 at age 64.

A simple mathematical rule (the Rule of 72) says that when that the interest rate times the number of years equals 72, the result is that the amount doubles. For example, an 8% investment doubles in 9 years, a 6% investment doubles in 12 years. The interest rates were pretty good when my youth minister friend and I were conversing, and my calculations went about like this:
8 yrs–from $15000-30000; 16 years–from $30000-60000; 24 years –from $60000-120000; 32 years–from $120000-240000; 40 years–from $240000-480000.

Such is the power of compounding. When we are young, we have more time than we do money. A young family that forgoes just one new car in the early years, and instead saves the money that would have gone to the new vehicle and payments, takes a major step forward toward retirement funding.

The first eldership I worked with set aside $5/week and told me it was for retirement. They said I could not have it as salary, but that it had to be invested in a retirement plan. They said they would forward it to another eldership, but they would not give it directly to me. The retirement plan was established, and they put in $5/week during the first year I worked with them, and $10/year the second year. (Incidentally, those amounts were about 3-7% of my salary in those years.) After that, another church put in $10/week for two years. The next church I worked with put in $15/week for four years. When my wife and I purchased our own home, the pay package was restructured and the contributions to my little retirement plan stopped. We have never put in more money, and we have kept the funds separate. You can calculate the amount invested (about $5000), and you can make a close guess at the current balance in that little account after almost 35 years, using the Rule of 72 outlined above.

My wife and I are now at a place in our lives when we can clearly see the power of compounding from the results perspective. We are retiring this year, and we are grateful for the few dollars that we were able to save early on. We are grateful to that eldership that pointed us down the right path. My mother taught us to save at least 10%. We have done that, but could have done more. Through the years, Jan has worked outside the home from time to time. We have generally saved all of her earnings. Our regret now is that we did not save even more, and allow the value of time to multiply our savings.

The most important thing is not how much you make, but how much you keep.

Clay Michael Young

Yesterday at 12:39 p.m. Clay Michael Young arrived, our sixth grandchild and third grandson.
He weighed 2830 grams (2.83 kg = 6 pounds, 3.8 ounces), and was 47.62 cm long (18 3/4 inches).
He is named for my father and paternal grandfather, and has his father’s name as a middle name.
He joins his big brother, Joseph Blair, and big sister, Morgan Jayne.

Jan and I were able to get to Tulsa to the hospital about an hour before he was born. Maria did wonderfully, and Michael was the typical proud father. Clay should be able to take his parents home today or tomorrow!

Church Celebrates Anniversary

Last Sunday (Easter), the Siempre Familia church in Fort Worth celebrated their anniversary with 250 in attendance. This church plant is mostly staffed by Baxter graduates, and is a Continent of Great Cities effort. The church meets in what was previously the Rosemont church building.

The amazing thing about this news is that it was their FIRST anniversary. The evangelistic hearts of our Baxter graduates never cease to amaze me. This church is on fire, making a difference, and destined to make an even greater eternal impact in coming years. If you are interested in learning more about the church, check out their website at siemprefamilia.com.

If you would like more information on Baxter Institute, you can check out the website at baxterinstitute.edu, or you can contact me to learn how you can participate in this work, either financially or by helping with mission trips.